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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Beginning the Game
Career Mode Tips
Wish List
Contact
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SPACING AND LENGTH
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PERMISSIONS
Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or
print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use.
This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides,
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cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, and vgstrategies.com.
Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the
Internet.
Remember: Plagiarism is NOT tolerated!!!!!
=======================================
INTRODUCTION
Ford Racing is a $9.99 game new (at least, that is what I
paid for it at a major retail electronics store in Tucson),
which may lead a lot of potential players to bypass it when
they see the price. Perhaps they want flashy graphics.
Perhaps they want top-notch playability. Perhaps they want
realistic collision damage, with debris flying through the
air. Perhaps they simply shun PlayStation games now in favor
of only PlayStation 2 games.
Granted, Ford Racing cannot hold a candle to the Gran Turismo
series. However, for only $9.99, this is a REALLY good
game!!!!! The playing environments are quite convincing,
from mountain to desert to what seems to be an intertextual
moment with Gran Turismo's Grand Valley course (the full
course, not Grand Valley East). There are unlockable cars
and courses (with multiple course configurations) as you
progress through the Career Mode. For those who are not fans
of driving simulations (such as the Championship Mode of many
F1-based games), Ford Racing is very easy to play, even in
Career Mode. There is a good mix of "fast" and "technical"
courses in most seasons of the Career Mode. And most races
are short enough that you can easily handle 3-4 races
(including qualifying and/or car modifications) in just 30
minutes. For parents buying a first gaming console for young
children, Ford Racing is a good game to get with the console.
Ford Racing plays flawlessly on PlayStation 2 (PS2), but
requires a PlayStation (PSX) memory card.
On the down side, the vehicle graphics are a bit blocky.
With many cars, the tires are far too narrow to be
believable. The music is okay, but could certainly use
improvement. But perhaps the biggest pitfall of Ford Racing
is that it is very addictive!!!!!
The best part of Ford Racing is the price: At only $9.99
NEW, it certainly will not be a major drain on the walletŠ
unlike the new PS2 games being released.
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BEGINNING THE GAME
When first playing Ford Racing, it is a good idea to
immediately set up the controller(s); this is done on the
"Options" screen. Note that there is a "Hidden Items"
screen, which will show which cars and courses have been
unlocked as you progress through the game.
Once options have been set to your liking, save them, then
return to the main menu and go to "Quick Race." To learn the
initial courses without other cars on the track, choose "Time
Trial." From here, everything should be self-explanatory.
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CAREER MODE TIPS
Career Mode is comprised of multiple seasons. The initial
Career Mode seasons are each run with all competitors driving
the same model of car. The object is to win each season's
championship by collecting more points than any other driver,
thus earning an advancement to the following season's more
advanced races. Note that in most seasons, the final race's
points are doubled.
Initially, you will not have any money for parts and
maintenance. As you win or place on the podium of races, you
will accumulate money. It is possible to win every race of
the first season without buying parts, so save the money for
the next season. While more difficult, it is also possible
(with some inventive defensive driving) to win the
championship for the second season without buying any car
parts, thus saving more money to spend on parts in later
seasons.
As you enter each new season, you should (hopefully) have
some money remaining from the previous season. I have found
it beneficial to spend that money immediately on parts for
the new car used for each season. This almost certainly
makes your car faster and more agile compared to the other
cars, and increases the chances of winning or placing on the
podium in each season's initial races. As each season
progresses, the opponents' cars get better and better, so it
is important to gain as many points as possible at the start
of the season, so that if you lose a race or two later
(especially a double-points race), you will hopefully have a
bit of a cushion to work with.
Between races, in the "Career Menu," there is an available
selection for "Info Menu." From here, you can check the
current season's "Standings." Near the end of the season, it
is possible that you may be able to skip the last race or two
if you so choose, yet still be able to win the championship
for that season and earn an advancement to the next level the
following season. However, consider that if you race in the
"extra" races and place on the podium, you will gain more
money to spend on your new car at the start of the following
season. Choose wisely.
When beginning a new season, spend time looking at the race
line-up. Note the courses you will be racing on, and try to
buy parts as appropriate both for the season's first race and
in anticipation of later races. Also note which races have
an entry fee, as you cannot simply bypass these races.
In general, you will have better initial acceleration from a
standing start than your competitors. This can be further
modified by buying various parts and changing the settings.
Initial acceleration is especially important if you skipped
qualifying and start from the back of the grid, or qualified
poorly, as you should be able to gain 1-3 positions just from
initial acceleration. If you do not start on the front row,
use your initial acceleration to blast your way up the center
of the track, between your competitors, as they will tend to
keep moving in a straight line until the first corner; if you
attempt to keep a straight line, you will bang into the car
in front of you on the grid. If you were able to qualify on
Pole for a race, your initial acceleration will certainly
create some separation between you and the rest of the pack.
Note that initial acceleration works best in a straight line,
and that not all courses have a significant patch of straight
track (from the Start/Finish Line) to make initial
acceleration an issue.
Generally, the best method for cornering is to enter a turn
from the outside, tightly hug the apex, and drift back to the
outside on exit. (Therefore, for a left-handed corner, you
should approach from the right side of the track, come tight
to the left side at the apex, then drift back to the right on
exit.) If braking is necessary, it is best to begin braking
before entering the corner; if you start braking too late,
you will overshoot the corner and/or slide the car off the
course. However, different types of corners require
different driving/braking approaches. Perhaps the best
method to learn about the various corners and how different
types of cars react to these corners is to complete all the
license tests for any game in the Gran Turismo series, and/or
complete all seventeen courses of the Training Mode in F1
Championship Season 2000.
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WISH LIST
Some things I would personally like to see in any future
incarnations of Ford Racing:
1.) Longer initial seasons
2.) Better music (hire Jean-Michel Jarre - he's an excellent
composer/musician!!!)
3.) Better graphics (i.e.: less "blocky")
4.) More courses (not just multiple variations on the same
courses)
5.) Realistic collision damage (bodywork flying through the
air would be a nice bonus)
6.) Car number and paint scheme options (by season, and/or by
team; potentially modifiable, as in Ridge Racer V)
7.) More options for car set-up
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CONTACT
Please note that I am no longer supporting Ford Racing. For
rants, raves, and other non-question issues, contact me at:
FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM
To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2
game guides, visit FeatherGuides at
http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/
